The Actor Factor: The Witches Are Out

Bewitched celebrated its 45th year on television this past September. After its premiere in 1964 it became ABC's biggest comedy hit up to that time, finishing at an impressive number two in the Nielsens that year. It is one of a select few shows that hasn't been off the air since its premiere, and now the entire series is available on DVD.

One of my favorite shows as a kid, I think every child of the seventies has fond memories of staying home sick from school (or just playing hooky) and watching reruns of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. As an adult, though, I discovered the seldom-seen-in-reruns black and white episodes of Bewitched on Nick at Nite, and it has since become one of my favorite shows of all time.


Most people remember Bewitched as a silly supernatural show of the sixties and early seventies, but it is far more than that. It tackled issues of prejudice and intolerance long before it was commonplace or even acceptable on television. I have collected every season on DVD, after arduously saving them to VHS over the years, and after re-watching episodes for the umpteenth time, I have put together a list of the five episodes of Bewitched that every member of the GLBT community MUST see. Yes, I said “MUST” and all in capital letters. The shows are all from the first two seasons, and two of them are, timely enough, Halloween episodes.

“The Witches Are Out” from season one is the first episode where witches are presented as a minority group. They are referred to as such in the episode in which one of Darrin' clients (portrayed by Shelley Berman) wants his Halloween candy represented by a wart-nosed, broom-riding witch. Meanwhile, Samantha and her witch committee are trying to actively combat the negative images associated with witches during Halloween.


When Samantha stumbles upon Darrin's illustrations of a stereotypical witch, she is hurt and incensed. Darrin doesn't quite understand, but immediately supports Samantha, and instead comes up with a campaign portraying a sexy witch. The client shoots down the idea, but he is Dickensian-ally visited in the night by protest-sign-carrying witches who convince him of the error of his ways. This episode also marks the first appearance of Marion Lorne as Aunt Clara.

“A is for Aardvark”, also from the first season, does not have a particularly gay sensibility, but it is arguably the best episode of the entire series and my personal favorite. In it, Darrin sprains his ankle and Samantha, through witchcraft, makes the house obey his every wish. It is Darrin's first real taste of the power at a witch's command, and he quickly falls victim to the overwhelming lure of witchcraft. Through the experience, Darrin and Sam both learn the value of the unconventional love they share. Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York turn in extraordinary performances. Notably, the episode is directed by film star Ida Lupino.


“There's No Witch Like an Old Witch” (again from season one) portrays a depressed and aging Aunt Clara finding value and purpose as a babysitter for mortal children. Although her young charges are delighted with her magical tricks and stories of flying from rooftop to rooftop, some parents are uncomfortable with Aunt Clara's eccentricities.

Aunt Clara ends up before a judge to plead her capability and value as a babysitter. The show tackles ageism and parental fear of that which is different as all the while Clara attempts to pull a rabbit from her pocket book, delightfully bungling the spell each and every time. Lorne would go on to posthumously win an Emmy for her role.


“The Joker is a Card” from season two marks the first appearance of Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur. Need I say more? I don't, but I will. This is possibly the funniest episode of Bewitched ever. Endora's practical-joke-playing younger brother, Arthur, is introduced and delightful havoc ensues. Arthur convinces Darrin he can combat Endora's meddling with magic of his own, complete with duck calls and cowbells. "Yaga-zuzzie, yaga-zuzzie, yaga-zuzzie-zem!"

“Trick or Treat” is the second season's Halloween episode in which Endora wants Samantha to go away with her to the “Sacred Volcano” to escape the disturbing (to witches at least) revelries of Halloween. Darrin refuses, and Endora (in the guise of a gypsy girl portrayed by a very young Maureen “Marcia Brady” McCormick) turns Darrin into a werewolf. Dick York's transformation is both hysterical and ridiculous, but the resolution, in which Samantha challenges Endora to confront her own prejudices, is some of the most thought-provoking television ever produced. No — really!


The preceding episodes are but a sample of Bewitched's finest, especially from a GLBT perspective. Honorable mentions also go to “Witches and Warlocks Are My Favorite Things,” (season three) in which a coven of witches questions the suitability of Tabitha being raised in a mixed marriage, and “Samantha's Power Failure” (season five) in which the Witches' Council strips Sam, Serena, Uncle Arthur and Tabitha of their powers (this is also a personal favorite of my partner Chris — that reverend who does movie reviews around here). Oh, and “Samantha and the Loch Ness Monster” (season eight) just makes me laugh ridiculously. Serena as a mermaid! Do I need to say more? I could, but I won't.

All eight seasons of Bewitched are now availableon DVD, and there is talk of releasing the entire series in a boxed set. The earlier seasons, especially the first two, are must-sees for classic TV fans and new viewers alike.


The last three seasons with Dick Sargent (a gay icon in his own right) lack the originality of the earlier episodes and draw on many “remade” scripts from the first few seasons, but they remain entertaining and make the perfect viewing option when you are home sick from work ... or when you're just playing hooky.

"Calling Doctor Bombay! Emergency! Come right away!"

The Actor Factor: A View from Both Sides of the Camera is by James Jaeger, Los Angeles based actor and resident television critic of Movie Dearest.

Reverend's Reviews: Apocalypse Now Playing

The Bible and other religious texts identify several elements that will foreshadow the end of the world: earthquakes, wars and fires raging out of control, the dead rising to life, plagues and pestilence, and Woody Harrelson. Ok, I added that last one, but I find it oddly significant that the actor has roles in at least two new movies out of a growing number that deal with the apocalypse and/or its aftermath.

In the current Zombieland, Harrelson plays the leader of a small group of survivors struggling to make it in a world that has been overrun with the living dead. Roland Emmerich's 2012 (in theaters November 13) casts Harrelson as one among billions trying to outrun an impending global cataclysm some allege was predicted long ago by the Mayans. Did the Mayans similarly anticipate Harrelson's 21st century standing as would-be savior of humankind?


Between now and the year 2012, I foresee a raft of apocalypse-themed movies. 9 (the animated, post-human adventure, not the Rob Marshall-directed musical) is already playing (read my review here), and The Road, based on Cormac McCarthy's stunning novel, is due by year's end. Gloom-and-doom is increasingly the rage in our cultural zeitgeist, which in turn feeds the Hollywood moviemaking machine.

But will we soon experience the actual end of days? That's a question that, in my experience, quite a few people are asking themselves but are afraid or embarrassed to discuss openly. As tsunamis decimate coastal communities, as world economies decline, as the ice caps melt, as new viruses or new strains of existing viruses infect us, and as Iran and North Korea strive to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, some believe the initial signs of impending Armageddon are already upon us. Who can say with certainty that any of us will still be here a mere three years from now?


As a Christian, I have long tried to take Jesus' admonition in the New Testament to "Be prepared" for the end seriously. Whether "the end" will translate ultimately as the end of my own life or the end of all life as we know it is murky if not completely unknowable. Other world religions have their own messages and practices regarding the seemingly inevitable end of the world.

Keeping the end of life in mind doesn't translate for me into a fearful, depressed mindset. Rather, it helps me to appreciate each day — indeed, each moment — all the more. I regularly try to impress this on the patients I serve daily who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and are under hospice care. No matter what their religious background, virtually all respond positively, even eagerly, to my encouragement to live in the now and make the most of it.


Please don't get the wrong impression; I'm not about to start pacing the streets, carrying a placard reading "Repent! The end is nigh!" However, even country-western singer Tim McGraw has proclaimed the mantra "Live Like You Were Dying" to great success, indicating that many people do understand the wisdom in such an approach. With it comes the invitation to apologize to those we have hurt, forgive those who have offended us, and accomplish to the best of our ability the goals that we consider most important.

I can't tell you whether the world is going to end in 2012 or not. I wish I could. Frankly, I hope it doesn't. There's likely little we can do about it one way or the other, so there's no point in worrying about it. Let's all live like we are dying and make the most of the precious time we do have. Besides, if the end is that close at hand, Woody Harrelson might still be around to save us.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Reverend's Reviews: Heavenly Movie Soundtracks

This post is part of Film Babble Blog's "Soundtrack September".
As an avid collector of original motion picture soundtrack albums since the 1970's, being asked to choose the best from among the 400+ I own is akin to a parent being forced to publicly identify their favorite child from among several! So rather than make a ten-best list, I've decided to write about a dozen or so from my collection that I consider significant not only to me personally but in the genre of music composed specifically for the silver screen. Some are former Oscar nominees or winners that remain celebrated today. Others have been woefully forgotten and are deserving of renewed attention.

While the first soundtrack recording I recall buying was the inescapable Star Wars by modern movie music maestro John Williams, it was Williams' follow-up score for Superman: The Movie that really struck a chord (no pun intended) with me. I will never forget the dramatic impact Superman's main title march had on me, accompanied as it was by the film's literally soaring opening credits. Williams brilliantly utilized a variety of styles to underscore the superhero's story, from his origin on the doomed planet Krypton to his climactic showdown with arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. The score also includes the song "Can You Read My Mind?", although it is performed in the film by Margot Kidder as more of a spoken word recitation, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.


The Superman score was nominated for a 1978 Academy Award but lost to Giorgio Moroder's innovative electronic score for Midnight Express. Moroder would go on to score a number of successful 80's movies, including Flashdance. In my opinion, however, Moroder's best work is his alternately lyrical, intense and sexy score for the 1982 remake of the horror classic Cat People. David Bowie co-wrote and performed the film's title song, which was recently resurrected to awesome effect in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

There are many big-screen musicals in my collection including my all-time favorite, the underrated 1967 Doctor Dolittle, but I want to single out another soundtrack LP from a similarly unappreciated movie: Popeye. Robert Altman's big budget, live-action take on the classic cartoon character got a wildly mixed reception, as did its song score by pop songwriter-singer Harry Nilsson. Popeye ended up being Nilsson's first and last feature-length film score, as he unexpectedly passed away just a few years later. It is a charming score, with simple but often witty and emotionally resonant songs performed by Robin Williams in the title role, Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl, and the great Ray Walston as Poopdeck Pappy. The soundtrack has never been released on CD, which is a shame as it includes a couple of songs that were cut from the film and better orchestrations.


While the movie-musical for which they were written is painful to sit through, Richard O'Brien's songs for 1981's Shock Treatment are great. This misbegotten sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show attempted to send up both television and the psychiatric profession. Skip the movie, but try to hunt down its rockin' soundtrack. You'll be singing the virtues of "Denton, U.S.A." as soon as you hear the song of that name!

During the Christmas season of 1981, two historical epics were released with primarily instrumental scores by composers accustomed to writing lyrics as well as music: Reds, by musical-theatre titan Stephen Sondheim, and Ragtime, which was Randy Newman's first film score. While both scores are excellent and deserve continued recognition, only Newman was honored at Oscar time with two nominations for best original score and best song, the tender "One More Hour." Sondheim has rarely written for movies since, with 1990's Dick Tracy a notable exception, while Newman has become one of the most sought-after film composers of our time and finally won an Oscar (after 15 prior nominations) in 2001.


No list of great film scores and composers would be complete without the late Jerry Goldsmith, and his Oscar-nominated work on 1982's Poltergeist ranks among his finest achievements. The music zigzags, not unlike the movie, from jaunty, comedic tones to intense sequences of musical menace. Goldsmith's similarly-styled scores for the mid-80's fantasies Gremlins and Supergirl are also noteworthy.

Two other composers who must be mentioned are John Barry and Ennio Morricone. Barry's ravishing, Oscar-winning score for Out of Africa is my personal favorite of his, while The Mission by Morricone has not only withstood the test of time but is one of the most spiritual recordings of all time ... if a recording can be said to be spiritual.


Asian influences in film music have become more pervasive this decade, but the progression began with the acclaimed, memorable scores to Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and The Last Emperor. Both were composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, the latter with an assist from "Talking Head" David Byrne. Also worth noting in this regard is Stomu Yamashta's appropriately magical score for 1982's Tempest, Paul Mazursky's update of Shakespeare's comedy The Tempest.

Danny Elfman crossed over from Oingo Boingo front man to film composer with a series of great scores to accompany director Tim Burton's flights of fancy. His score for the first big-budget Batman movie in 1989 was so successful that Elfman became the go-to guy for a while for superhero movies, including Darkman, Spider-Man and Hulk. But it is Elfman's work on Batman Returns that remains his finest hour. He created memorable themes for the villainous Penguin and Catwoman, and created a cool song for Siouxsie and the Banshees, "Face to Face," out of the latter's.


Lest one think I'm stuck in the 80's when it comes to my faves (although I can see how it is tempting to do so), there are a number of both older and more recent film scores that are close to my heart: Max Steiner's unforgettable Gone With the Wind; the admitted guilty pleasure Lost Horizon (1973), with songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David; Halloween, composed by its director, John Carpenter; Carter Burwell's haunting Gods and Monsters; the driving, minimalist score for The Hours by Phillip Glass; John Corigliano's passionate, Oscar-winning score for The Red Violin; A Beautiful Mind by James Horner; and this year's fabulous Coraline, with a creepy-cute score by French up and comer Bruno Coulais.

I think I've mentioned more than a dozen here, contrary to what I set out to do. Obviously, when it comes to film music I have difficulty restraining myself! I sincerely hope readers will check out any of these scores you are unfamiliar with, as well as identify your own, time-tested favorites.

Click hereto purchase any of the above soundtracks from Amazon.com.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Queer Ear for the Movie Musical Soundtrack

This post is part of Film Babble Blog's "Soundtrack September".
As every good show queen worth their Playbill collection knows, nothing beats a good show tune, whether belted out on the Great White Way or on the Silver Screen.

So, as a service to our readers (as well as sexually confused high school drama students everywhere), we here at Movie Dearest have compiled the following list (in no particular order) of our 25 Favorite Movie Musical Soundtracks, a.k.a. the "Gayest" Soundtracks of All Time. Not all of the following movies are gay (and one isn't even technically a musical), but they — and their soundtracks — certainly have their gay fans.

The Wizard of Oz(1939): Judy sings "Over the Rainbow". 'Nuff said.

A Star is Born(1954): Judy sings "The Man Who Got Away". Ditto.

Cabaret(1972): And now it's Liza's turn, old chum, in this Kander and Ebb classic.


Grease(1978): Dig the homoeroticism in "Greased Lightning" (even with that whole "pussy wagon" thing) as well as "good girl gone bad" Olivia Newton-John doing a fierce "You're the One That I Want".

Xanadu(1980): Speaking of ONJ ... The movie may be terrible, but who can resist such hits as "I'm Alive", "Suddenly" and the roller disco title track.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show(1975): From Tim Curry's "Sweet Transvestite" to the audience participation-ready "Time Warp", you'll know why this was a midnight movie staple for years.


Hedwig and the Angry Inch(2001): The hard rockin'-est of the lot, featuring tour de force vocals from John Cameron Mitchell.

Hairspray(2007): Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman's Tony Award winning score is brought to life with an all-star cast. (And the soundtrack for John Waters' 1988 original is none to shabby either.)

Beauty and the Beast(1991): We had to include at least one Disney toon tunefest, and this one's Oscar winning music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman fits the bill ... especially with Gaston singing about how "every last inch of me's covered with hair."


Hair(1979): Speaking of hair ... A hunky Treat Williams sings all about his in the titular song ... as well as his tits in "I Got Life".

West Side Story(1961): You'll feel "pretty and witty and gay" with the landmark Stephen Sondheim/Leonard Bernstein score.

Zero Patience(1993): The most obscure of the bunch, this musical about AIDS (really) is well worth seeking out, both on DVD and CD.


The Sound of Music(1965): Admit it: you twirl around like Julie Andrews on that hilltop every time you hear it.

Victor/Victoria(1982): Speaking of Julie ... she bends her gender, rolls her shoulders and gives us her best "Le Jazz Hot".

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert(1994): Not exactly a musical per se, but from the lip-synced wonders of "I've Never Been to Me" to the finale "Finally", you won't care. No more f*cking ABBA ...?


Mamma Mia!(2008): Not quite. Yes, Pierce Brosnan's croaking is unlistenable, but the marvelous Meryl Streep and awesome Amanda Seyfried more than make up for him.

Funny Girl(1968): Early Barbra Streisand at her very best, from her signature song "People" to the show-stopping "Don't Rain on My Parade" to channeling Fanny Brice in "My Man".

Yentl(1983): More Babs, all Babs, all sublime.


Can't Stop the Music(1980): Now to the ridiculous ... But just try to listen to the Village People anthem "Y.M.C.A." without doing the "Y.M.C.A." arms.

Moulin Rouge!(2001): First, a sexy Nicole Kidman purrs "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", than a dreamy Ewan McGregor croons "My Song", then they cap it off with the ultimate romantic duet "Come What May". And who can forget the "Elephant Love Medley"?

De-Lovely(2004): Everyone from Robbie Williams to Alanis Morissette to John Barrowman get a crack at the legendary Cole Porter song book.

Evita(1996): Well, I couldn't forget Madonna, could I?


Dreamgirls(2006): Sure, it's got Beyoncé, but Jennifer Hudson brings the house down with her blistering interpretation of "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going".

Were the World Mine(2008): For those who wanted a gay High School Musical ... OK, an overtly gay High School Musical. "Faeries away!"

That's Entertainment!(1974-1994): From Singin' in the Rain to The Band Wagon to Gigi, the deluxe CD box set is a crash course in MGM musical history.

Click on the titles to purchase the CDs from Amazon.com.